During this season of Lent, I have been looking at the work of Joshua DuBois. DuBois wrote daily devotions for President Barack Obama, during his time in the White House. I was particularly struck by the devotion I read today, and wanted to share it with you. His devotion appears below:

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.Selah.Psalm 46: 11 (KJV)

A curious word is tucked at the end of various passages in the Psalms: selah.

Some bible scholars have said that selah is an instruction to the reader to pause and meditate on the passage’s meaning. But according to other interpretations, it is so much more than that.

Historians point out that Selah was an actual, physical place: a walled city, “Selah Petra,” in what is currently Jordan. And they say that instead of just calling us to meditation, when the Psalmist instructs us to selah, he is reminding us to rest in the safety of God’s arms. Knowing that we are protected.

Knowing that the forces of this day, this world, this life cannot penetrate God’s merciful fortress. In this security, we can experience true rest and release.

Dear God, I follow your command to selah today. I reflect on your word and meditate, within the safety of your arms. Amen.

The above devotion was written by Joshua DuBois, former White House director of faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships.